Fire Up The Barbecue: 15 Handy BBQ Tips

Fire Up The Barbecue: 15 Handy BBQ Tips

Nothing beats a Barbecue meal. It’s a terrific way of cooking and the flavors of Barbecue food are something else – I don’t know why or how but it’s so much more of a distinctive taste than pan frying. I love that as in most cases, Barbecue’s are positioned outside which means the smell and mess from cooking can be kept outdoors. My husband takes charge of our Barbecue cooking which means that I can get the meal prepared to a certain point and he can then finish off on the BBQ.

Over time I will be bringing you a range of delicious and easy BBQ recipes. For starters, check out this flavorsome Spicy Plum Chicken BBQ recipe. It’s very easy, you can marinade it in advance and it will be a mega hit with the family.

Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 to 30 minutes before using them so that they won’t burn while cooking. Metal skewers should be prepped with cooking oil to prevent the food from sticking to them.

Place a laundry squirt bottle near the barbeque to deal with flare-ups when grilling with charcoal.

If the sauce you will use for basting contains sugar, apply it only during the final stage of the barbecuing process. If not, the sugar will cause the food to burn and char.

Use a shallow dish for marinating to ensure even coverage.

Beef, pork and poultry will taste better if marinated overnight before you cook them in the grill.

If you want to use the marinade as your sauce, make sure you cook it well to destroy any microorganisms as a result of coming in contact with raw and uncooked meat.

Baste meat with the marinade during the last five to ten minutes of cooking.

It’s easy to know if your, say, steak has already been cooked to your preference. The first thing you need to do is get a thong and press the meat’s surface. A rare steak is soft and malleable to touch while a medium steak is somewhat firm. Lastly, a well-done steak feels very firm and resistant.

Do not use the grill without wearing heavy duty mitts to protect your hands and arms from burns.

Use foil drip pans to collect the juices beneath the grilling meats. This will help in preventing flare-ups and will help in minimizing clean ups.

Use apple cider vinegar, burgundy and cracked pepper in your marinade to tenderize tough cuts of meat like skirt and flank steak.

Juices back away from the center of the meat when they are in direct contact with heat. Once the meat cuts are off the grill, let them sit for five to seven minutes to “rest” which allows these juices to run back to all parts of the meat for a more flavorful outcome.

Prevent the food from sticking to the grate by brushing it with cooking oil. You can use a nonstick cooking spray too.

Use tongs or a spatula to turn the meat, as piercing with a fork or skewer means it will lose some of the juices.